I was lucky enough to get an offer from Skadden (NY) a few days ago and I'm seriously considering just accepting it and not interviewing with any more firms.
What do you guys think? Is there any reason why I shouldn't just take the offer? Has anyone had a bad experience with Skadden?
Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice? Forum
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Anonymous User
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UnderrateOverachieve
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
What do you have against free lunch?
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thesealocust
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
Skadden NYC is great, but your attraction to it makes it likely you'll also be attracted to its nearly identical peer firms. Never again in your career will you have so many options at once - I think it makes sense to explore them.
Make hay while the sun is shining, as it were.
Make hay while the sun is shining, as it were.
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Old Gregg
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
Absolutely no reason to accept now when you have yet to explore the other options, especially since those other options could turn out to be better fits (but you just don't know about it now).Anonymous User wrote:I was lucky enough to get an offer from Skadden (NY) a few days ago and I'm seriously considering just accepting it and not interviewing with any more firms.
What do you guys think? Is there any reason why I shouldn't just take the offer? Has anyone had a bad experience with Skadden?
Do your diligence.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
Not OP here - I also have a Skadden offer but am considering other top firms for corporate. I could also use insight into the culture of the place, the humanity, etc.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
I would search on TLS, but my sense is that some people report quality of life issues with Skadden NYC. If you are able to get that type of offer i would continue going because I would try to find the best fit, and that might mean expanding to V20 or even V30, unless your only concern is prestige.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Skadden vs. Other Top Firms -- Insider Thoughts/Advice?
my friend has a lot of experience with Skadden - i won't out him by saying how.
Skadden's work environment does have quality issues but these issues are pervasive across BigLaw in NY generally. You are going to have extremely extremely long hours where people treat you like shit as you struggle to perform at your highest level all the while going toe to toe with your peer competitors who want to climb over you on the ladder to partnership. There is no reprieve from this. The personalities will be sociopathic and at times, your work will be cumbersome, tedious, boring, repetitive. Partnership management is opaque and you have absolutely no say over your compensation, benefits, whether you get the axe, your work reviews, etc. Getting onto committees is a beauty contest - who you know and how much "they" like you gets you an invitation. If you are three years in and you still have yet to be invited to a committee, start calling recruiters. You will get yelled at and chewed out for stuff that isn't your fault after you haven't slept for 2 weeks. You will cancel dates, anniversaries, birthdays, family reunions because your client decided it would be a good idea to start making a nonsensical spreadsheet at 9pm.
This is not Skadden's lifestyle, this is every BigLaw lifestyle in NYC. If you don't like it, look to other regions. The difference between Skadden and the other large NY firms is the way that communication is delivered and the frattiness of the culture. Skadden people like to drink all night and then work all day. Davis Polk people go home to their families. People at Weil are somewhere in between. Etcetera, etcetera. Welcome to the churn.
Skadden's work environment does have quality issues but these issues are pervasive across BigLaw in NY generally. You are going to have extremely extremely long hours where people treat you like shit as you struggle to perform at your highest level all the while going toe to toe with your peer competitors who want to climb over you on the ladder to partnership. There is no reprieve from this. The personalities will be sociopathic and at times, your work will be cumbersome, tedious, boring, repetitive. Partnership management is opaque and you have absolutely no say over your compensation, benefits, whether you get the axe, your work reviews, etc. Getting onto committees is a beauty contest - who you know and how much "they" like you gets you an invitation. If you are three years in and you still have yet to be invited to a committee, start calling recruiters. You will get yelled at and chewed out for stuff that isn't your fault after you haven't slept for 2 weeks. You will cancel dates, anniversaries, birthdays, family reunions because your client decided it would be a good idea to start making a nonsensical spreadsheet at 9pm.
This is not Skadden's lifestyle, this is every BigLaw lifestyle in NYC. If you don't like it, look to other regions. The difference between Skadden and the other large NY firms is the way that communication is delivered and the frattiness of the culture. Skadden people like to drink all night and then work all day. Davis Polk people go home to their families. People at Weil are somewhere in between. Etcetera, etcetera. Welcome to the churn.
